Dictionary.com | Meanings & Definitions of English Words (original) (raw)

View synonyms for jolly

jolly

adjective

, jol·li·er, jol·li·est.

  1. in good spirits; lively; merry:
    In a moment he was as jolly as ever.
    Synonyms: playful, sportive, jovial, spirited, glad
    Antonyms: melancholy, gloomy
  2. cheerfully festive or convivial:
    a jolly party.
    Synonyms: playful, sportive, jovial, spirited, glad
    Antonyms: melancholy, gloomy
  3. Christmas is a jolly season.
    Synonyms: playful, sportive, jovial, spirited, glad
    Antonyms: melancholy, gloomy
  4. Chiefly British Informal. delightful; charming.
    1. Informal. great; thorough:
      a jolly blunderer.
    2. Slang. slightly drunk; tipsy.

verb (used with object)

, jol·lied, jol·ly·ing.

  1. Informal. to talk or act agreeably to (a person) in order to keep that person in good humor, especially in the hope of gaining something (usually followed by along ):
    They jollied him along until the job was done.

verb (used without object)

, jol·lied, jol·ly·ing.

  1. Informal. to jolly a person; josh; kid.

  2. Informal. the practice or an instance of jollying a person.

  3. Usually
    jollies. Informal. pleasurable excitement, especially from or as if from something forbidden or improper; thrills; kicks:
    He gets his jollies from watching horror movies.

adverb

  1. British Informal. extremely; very:
    He'll jolly well do as he's told.

/ ˈdʒɒlɪ /

adjective

  1. full of good humour; jovial
  2. having or provoking gaiety and merrymaking; festive
  3. greatly enjoyable; pleasing

verb

  1. often foll byup or along
    to try to make or keep (someone) cheerful
  2. to make goodnatured fun of

noun

  1. informal.
    a festivity or celebration
  2. informal.
    a trip, esp one made for pleasure by a public official or committee at public expense
  3. slang.

Discover More

Derived Forms

Discover More

Other Words From

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of jolly1

1275–1325; Middle English joli, jolif < Old French, equivalent to jol- (probably < Old Norse jōl

Yule ( def )

) + -if -ive

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of jolly1

C14: from Old French jolif, probably from Old Norse jōl yule

Discover More

Example Sentences

It’s jolly good fun—and a great way to get your blood flowing after a long day on the slopes.

These weren’t people jollied by the guy with the funny hair.

There aren’t any non-Jewish publishers anywhere, they control the media—jolly clever thing to do—that’s why the president of the United States has to sell all this stuff to Israel.

I was just screaming, walking up hallways, just this big jolly queen.

Chairman Neil Chatterjee, a former policy adviser to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, shared the news in a jolly Twitter post.

The incident sparked his belief in Santa, but he would have to wait nearly two decades before dressing up as Jolly St. Nick.

Like Jolly, most of the women raced other motorized vehicles before making it into Monster Jam.

Jolly somehow finds the time to also manage a restaurant and help kids who have Autism and Down syndrome ride horses.

Jolly, who entered the racing world when she was eight years old, remembers being taunted as a kid.

Jolly and Creten, who are both married to Monster Jam drivers (Neil Elliott and Jimmy Creten, respectively), have kids.

Mrs. Jolly Robin had often wished—when she was trying to feed a rapidly-growing family—that she could hunt forp.

And then Jolly Robin would feel ashamed that he had even thought of being so cruel to an infant bird, even if he was a Cowbird.

And then, probably, Jolly Robin would laugh and tell her not to mind, for there ought to be worms enough for everybody.

Then a shower of dirt flew into their faces and both Jolly Robin and his wife tumbled over backward.

While the refined exquisite was giving his order, a jolly western drover had listened with opened mouth and protruding eyes.